150 THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



journey to Ungava, over a country rarely, if ever, 

 traversed by an Englishman before. The unknown 

 only lay before him in this deserted, icy road of 

 some 700 or 800 miles. And as the apostolic party 

 of old " assayed to go into Bithynia ; but the 

 Spirit suffered them not.'* So it might also have 

 been written of him. No less than three times did 

 Mr. Peck fail to accomplish this journey. Three 

 times, from some cause or another, he was driven 

 back. His first attempt has already been mentioned 

 as having taken place in the summer of 1882. " In 

 the following summer," he writes, " we started 

 again, but could not force our way along the coast 

 on account of the vast piles of ice which lay in our 

 track, and we were again with reluctance obliged 

 to postpone our arduous undertaking. 



" In the winter of the same year we tried once more 

 with sledge and dogs, thinking to cross the Labrador 

 Peninsula by this means. We were not, of course, 

 able to carry a large supply of provisions, as the 

 load would have been too heavy ; but we expected 

 to meet with reindeer and other animals which 

 sometimes frequent those parts. In this, however, 

 we were disappointed. For eleven days we struggled 

 on over the frozen waste, but not a vestige of 

 animal life could be seen. We were, therefore, 

 obliged with heavy heart to retrace our steps or 

 perish by starvation. The next attempt, through 

 God's help and guidance, proved successful, and 



